>I am not a "defender" of the September 11 attacks
Really? Here's part of what he said:
>The Makings of a Humanitarian Strategy
>
>In sum one can discern a certain optimism - it might even be call
>humanitarianism - imbedded in the thinking of those who presided
>over the very limited actions conducted on September 11.
>
>Their logic seems to have devolved upon the notion that the American
>people have condoned what has been/is being done in their name -
>indeed, are to a significant extent actively complicit in it -
>mainly because they have no idea what it feels like to be on the
>receiving end.
>
>Now they do.
>
>That was the "medicinal" aspect of the attacks.
>
>To all appearances, the idea is now to give the tonic a little time
>to take effect, jolting Americans into the realization that the sort
>of pain they're now experiencing first-hand is no different from -
>or the least bit more excruciating than - that which they've been so
>cavalier in causing others, and thus to respond appropriately.
>
>More bluntly, the hope was - and maybe still is - that Americans,
>stripped of their presumed immunity from incurring any real
>consequences for their behavior, would comprehend and act upon a
>formulation as uncomplicated as "stop killing our kids, if you want
>your own to be safe."
>
>Either way, it's a kind of "reality therapy" approach, designed to
>afford the American people a chance to finally "do the right thing"
>on their own, without further coaxing.